Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-04-14
REGISTER HETzEL RETURNS.
After Taking Legal Advice He Pays All
Demands Against Him.

After Taking Legal Advice He rays All
Demands Against Him.
Mr.. Hetzel Register of the United States
Land Office in this city, came up from San
Francisco yesterday forenoon, and went at
once in a hack to his residence on o street,
for the reason, as he stated, that he was Ill
and not able to go TO his office. Soon after
reaching his home he sent for an attorney,
William Singer, Jr., and consulted with
him concerning his official difficulties, and
the result is given in a statement over his
own signature, and published below.
In answer to interrogatories as 10 his
absence from the city he said he had been
very i'll: that he intended to return last
Saturday and telegraphed that he would
De here on that evening, but was nnally
unable to come. Upon being questioned
as to the alleged irregularities IN the affairs
of his office, he replied that he would be
ready to make q complete and be hoped
satisfactory statement upon the SUBJECT
later in the day. and would do so. Ac-
cordingIv the following W as received from
Mr.. Hetzel last evening:
STATEMENT BY Mr.. HErzEL.
EDS. RECORD UNION On the 9TH instant
Mr. Gardner, the Receiver, made formal
demand of me to pay over to him various
sums of money heretofore received by me,
amounting in all to $917 60. Mr.. GARDENERS
demand was based on provisions OF Cen
eral Land Office Circular of March %, 1882,
directing the Register to pay all moneys to
the Receiver as received.
NV own Interpretation of this rule is
that it is merely defnitive of the relations
of the Register and Receiver as custodian
of public funds, and that time is not OF its
essence that, with respect to time, its pro-
vision is directory, not mandatory.
Quite commonly money has come to me
without letter of transmittal, or other
means of identification, or TO pay for lands
entry of which was not permissible until
after examination and approval of the
proof papers accompanying or to follow.
OF such funds have made suspense ac-
count. retaining the various sums there
until identified or until they became prop
erly receivable into the United States
treasury.
Having at hand, on deposit in bank, all
moneys which had ever received, gave
the subject of my official relation to the
Receiver very little consideration. and no
concern until his demand for the money.
| then consulted an attorney familiar with
such matters, and | was advised that ii was
my duty to comply with the request Mr..
Gardner had made of me, which | should
have done some time since, but for the past
week 1 have been quite seriously i'll, I'M
able to give any attention to business, and
am still confined to my room.
To-day, through my attorney paid to
the Receiver in full the amount demanded
of me, $917 G5, and S14s additional re-
ceived since, whereupon Mr.. Gardner very
kindly telegraphed the Commissioner of
the General Land Office as follows:
Selden Hetzel this day turned over to me
three certificates of deposit by him in bank,
dated respectively December a. 1886, January
IS, 1887, and April G. 1887, aggregating S9l1, and
S14S coin. l know of no further amounts in his
hands. c. F. GARDNER, Receiver.
Until this day was not aware that pub
licity had been given this matter beyond
notice Of Mr.. Gardners demand and my
response at the time, for my friends have
kept the Sacramento papers from me.
While l know that the recent publica-
tons could not have been made to hurt
me, yet am keenly suffering the mortifi-
cation their injustice has brought upon me,
and trust that you will give this communi-
cation space in the columns of your paper
Most respectfully, SELDEN HETzEL.